Renaissance Humanism Essay

The Northern European and Italian renaissance period was a time of rebirth of Greek and roman studies, arts, and culture. The people of this time period were call humanists or people who studied Greek and Roman classics and works. The humanism movement not only influenced culture, but it also influenced how the individual was perceived. Humanists encouraged finding oneself whether it is through art, sports, learning and teaching, sciences or mathematics, and they believed one individual could achieve anything they put their minds to. (DOC. 3) The humanists of the Renaissance greatly valued religion even thought they were more focused on the study of human nature and values (DOC. 9). Humanists took it upon themselves to be devoted members of the church and make religion a crucial aspect of their everyday lives. By becoming a more religious individual, they benefited themselves and it was encouraged of humanists to use their connection to the Church to strengthen their relationships with others. One of the most important aspects of the Renaissance that the humanism movement influenced was art. People all over the world began to express themselves and their talents through art and the humanists’ beliefs greatly emphasized Greek and Roman art technique as well. For example, Michelangelo’s sculpture of David emulated the Greek and Roman’s grasp for the physical beauty of the human body and humans’ perfect strength and symmetry (DOC. 1). Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the muscles in human arms also emphasized and shed more light on the function, look and anatomy of the human arms, thus making it easier to study and visualize the human body (DOC. 7). Additionally, the population of humanism during the Renaissance influenced the way art became more lifelike. In paintings such as Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael (DOC. 4), the artist utilized aspects such as realism and perspective to give more depth to the painting. There is also a sense of the Roman and Greek admiration of the beauty of the human body in this painting, which was painted with new materials and on new mediums, that were invented during he Renaissance. Humanism greatly influenced scientific and secular studies of the Renaissance as well. One example is the improvement of the telescope in Europe (the telescope was originally invented by the Muslims), which greatly increased the flourishing of science during the Renaissance (DOC. 5). With the help of the telescope, it became easier to study astronomy and view the planets and the rest of outer space. Additionally, the printing press invented by Johann Guttenberg greatly contributed to the increase of learning during the humanist movement because more books were produced and became available (DOC. 10) In conclusion, humanism during the Renaissance transformed the lifestyle of people in Europe and influenced interrelated characteristics of culture such as science, art, and principles of the time period. Because he humanists became enthralled with the world around them and were detersmined to express themselves, the course of history for the Modern Ages was definitely changed for the better.